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Arsenal have appointed interim boss Rene Slagers as their new permanent head coach until 2026, ending a three-month search.
Former manager Jonas Ideval resigns in October and has since taken charge of the San Diego Wave in the NWSL. Sledgers has been playing an interim role since his departure and his uptick in form under the Dutchwoman keeps the Gunners in third place. WSL table, seven points behind the leaders Chelsea.
Armory They have won 10 of their 11 games under the Sledgers so far, with only one draw against Manchester United during that time. The impressive turnaround also meant they qualified at their peak Champions League Bayern Munich beat the German giants 3-2 before Christmas to top the group.
here, 90 minutes Here’s a look at five things you need to know about Arsenal’s head coach as the club enters a new era…
The manager’s journey with Arsenal did not begin until September 2023 when she joined as Aidwell’s assistant. In fact, she was on the club’s books between 2006 and 2007 as a 17-year-old.
She lived and studied at Aucklands College in Hertfordshire, the club’s main further education provider. Slagers worked with both Alex Scott and Kelly Smith during his early spells in London and has always spoken fondly of his time at the Academy.
This is not the first time the Sledgers have replaced Aidwell in the managerial dugout. Before joining Arsenal, she worked with FC Rosengard in Sweden, initially as manager of their B team.
In June 2021, he took charge of their first team following Eidevall’s departure to join Arsenal. She led the team to back-to-back Damelsvenskan titles in both 2021 and 2022 before leaving her post in April 2023.
The Arsenal head coach was just 29 years old when she called time on her playing career. She earned a total of 55 caps for her national team, but her last appearance came in November 2016 when she was just 27 years old.
In a friendly match against England, she suffered a serious injury which resulted in her missing the 2017 European Championships, which the Netherlands hosted and won. After more than a year, she announced her retirement in February 2018.
Arsenal’s incredible run of results under Sledgers would not have been possible without the players buying into his methods. The team has spoken highly of the 35-year-old since October and performances have certainly backed him up on the pitch.
Back in October, Beth Mead The Sledgers’ leadership was described as a ‘breath of fresh air’ when asked if the team would like to see her take charge permanently. Although he was careful not to speak while the recruitment process was underway, the mood and optimism surrounding the team over the past few months has been palpable.
Let’s keep building something together 💪 pic.twitter.com/Pn230AtOCE
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) January 17, 2025
Results have certainly been going Arsenal and the Slagers’ way since she took the reins, but the dynamic will change slightly now she’s in charge permanently. She stresses that they must continue with whatever they have been doing so far to ensure consistency is maintained.
Slegers said in one Interview with Ian Wright: “It’s very important to me that nothing changes because I think what has made us so strong is collective ownership. So I won’t change, the girls shouldn’t change, nobody should change because we really do things. We are fine at the moment.”
